


After the Book Signing

by goldclock



Category: One Tree Hill
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-12
Updated: 2021-02-12
Packaged: 2021-03-12 00:34:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,267
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29376474
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/goldclock/pseuds/goldclock
Summary: An honest conversation with Lucas and Haley after his LA book signing.
Relationships: Peyton Sawyer/Lucas Scott
Kudos: 2





	After the Book Signing

**Author's Note:**

> I have always craved to know more about the inner workings of Lucas in season 5. We know there was so much going through his mind and heart, but never got an honest understanding of his process, and I never felt like that was fair. So this is my attempt at giving that. :)
> 
> Song option: Coney Island by Taylor Swift

He pulled up to Nathan and Haley's house and soaked in the last moments of silence he had before going inside and telling them about LA. He ran his hand through his hair and he ran the possibilities through his mind of all the reasons why she hadn't shown up. _What went wrong? What did he do? What wasn't enough?_ He kept going back and forth between making every excuse in the world for her and just admitting the truth: she'd stood him up.

Suddenly the passenger door opened. "Hey, stranger!" Hailey perked, climbing into the seat next to him. "Tell me everything! How did it go?!" she chimed. He had stupidly told Haley that Peyton was coming to his book signing. He had been so excited to tell someone about it and in a moment of ignorant bliss he'd gotten his hopes up.

Haley quickly picked up on his silence. Sensing something was wrong, her hand went to rest on his shoulder. "Hey, what happened?"

He almost wanted to lie and not tell her. He didn't want to talk about it and he didn't want her pity. But he didn't have it in him to lie and he deserved her pity for being such a complete idiot. "She didn't come," he stated flatly, like the fact it was.

She shook her head in confusion. "What do you mean she didn't come?"

He didn't look Haley in the eye because he didn't want her to see the water that had started forming in his. He looked straight ahead and anywhere that wasn’t her, trying to hide any emotion. "Yeah, she just didn't come."

"Did she at least call or tell you why?" Haley asked, clearly frustrated at the situation, There had to be some kind of explanation. "That doesn't make any sense. She wouldn't just do that."

"Well she did, Haley!" Lucas snapped. He instantly regretted the outburst. But it wasn't like he didn't want an explanation too and Peyton hadn't had the decency to give him that. He dragged his hand over his face. "I'm sorry," he said weakly. Water pricking at his eyes.

Seeing him like this shook her. He was defeated, his shoulders slouched down and eyes lost. The tears quickly formed in her eyes too. "I'm sorry, Luke." She knew that he had felt so much rested on this book signing, like all his hard work and waiting would've been worth it when he saw her. "You didn’t deserve that."

They sat in a comfortable silence while Lucas let himself feel the pain he had been trying to press down as hard as he could. She let him sit there for as long as he needed to.

He painfully gulped past the lump in his throat. "I worked so hard on that book. I thought, you know, if she read it, she would realize...I thought--" he trailed off frustrated that he couldn't find the words…

"Lucas, it's okay. Don't do that," she said, sadly. She hated seeing him like this. She hated that Peyton didn't come. And because she knew Lucas, she knew he felt like it was his fault somehow. "Look at me," she demanded.

He shook his head.

"Lucas," she pleaded.

He rolled his eyes and turned toward her reluctantly, already set on being unconvinced at whatever encouragement she was about to say.

"Listen to me. This isn't your fault," she declared, looking him straight in the eye. "God only knows why she didn't show up, but you did nothing to deserve that. Okay? You didn't do anything wrong."

She didn't miss the disbelief that briefly flashed across his face. One day he would understand the worth of his work wasn't dependent on Peyton Sawyer. "Thanks, Haley," he said, not wanting to fight her on this.

"Well, that aside, how did LA go? Was it a success?" she asked him, steering towards something she hoped would be happier.

She could tell he was thankful for the change of topic. It wasn't any secret that he was always a little too eager to avoid the pain. "Yeah it was actually really great. It was the best turnout we've had so far."

"Lucas, that's great! I'm so proud of you!"

"Yeah, thanks," he said with a smile that she could see straight through. "Um," he paused, hesitating, wondering if he should tell her the rest…

"What?" Haley asked intrigued. "What is it?"

"So, there's actually something else that happened," he looked at her, unsure of what she'd say to his confession. "I went on a date with Lindsay."

Her head snapped to his in disbelief. "What?!" Speaking of being eager to avoid the pain…

He laughed at her reaction. There was a genuine smile on his face that she was glad to see, but she'd also known Lucas for a long time... "Okay, mister, tell me the details."

"I mean, there isn't a lot of them. We went out for dinner after the book signing and I just figured, why not, you know? We'd spent so much time together…" Of course, he left out the part where he went straight back to the bar once the date was over and got properly wasted.

"And we all know the crush she's had on you for the past year," Haley said with a dry laugh.

"Hey! She has always been completely professional!" Luke protested jokingly.

"I know, I’m just teasing," she chuckled. Their laughter died down and it eventually got still again. She knew this thing with Lindsay wasn't as innocent as it seemed. She knew his bad habits, and she knew he still wasn't over Peyton. She'd heard it in his tone when he told her she was coming to his book signing. She'd seen it in every line he wrote in that book about her and for her. She could feel it even now in the pain he was trying his damn hardest to hide. "Luke, would you consider calling her and just asking why she didn't come?"

She immediately regretted asking that question when she saw his face turn stone cold. His face whipped towards her. "Why would I do that?" Immediately she knew she'd pissed him off.

"I don't know. Maybe it could be helpful--"

"You mean I should call her so she can tell me she didn't come because she thought it'd probably be a waste of time, and she didn't bother to tell me that before because avoiding it would be easier for her," he added spitefully. "Yeah, I'll pass..."

She nodded. She wasn't going to die on this hill. "Okay. That's fair. I just want you to be happy, Luke."

"What? You don't think Lindsay can make me happy?" he continued testily, still not done. Haley had hit the pressure point, and he simply did not have the emotional energy to meter his reactions right now.

"No, that's not what I mean. Never mind."

"Lindsay's making me a lot happier than Peyton has," he said pressing the point home.

"Look, Luke I'm on your team. I always will be." Haley reinforced. 

He signed, exhausted. He knew Haley didn't deserve to have his anger taken out on her. "I'm sorry, Hales. I'm just trying to deal with it and you're getting the brunt…" he said apologetically.

"It's okay. Look, we don't need to talk about this anymore. Do you wanna go inside. Jamie's dying to see you," she said softly, catching his eye with a reassuring smile.

"Yeah, let's go," he replied, trying to meet her with a smile of his own. She saw through that one too.


End file.
